Aaron Tan
AARON TAN, twenty-five, is a passionate engineer and organist. His musical studies began on the piano when he was five years old. Receiving his Associate (ARCT) diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada at the age of twelve, he went on to earn his Licentiate (LTCL) and Fellowship (FTCL) diplomas in Piano Performance from Trinity College of Music (London, England) at 13 and 15 years, respectively. When he was 18, he also completed his ARCT diploma in Violin Performance. Upon becoming a freshman in the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto in 2004, he began organ studies with John Tuttle, under the auspices of the Barwell Scholarship, which is awarded to pianists interested in learning the organ. Since then, he has gone on to complete both Associate (ARCCO) and Fellowship (FRCCO) diplomas in organ from the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO). In addition, he has also won numerous noteworthy contests and scholarships including the Toronto RCCO Young Organists Competition, the Osborne Organ Competition of the Summer Institute of Church Music (Ontario), the RCCO’s National Organ Playing Competition, the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians, the Lilian Forsyth Scholarship, and the West Chester University Organ Competition.
Aaron graduated in 2007 from the University of Toronto with a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Science (Nanoengineering). He is now a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Aside from his graduate studies, he also serves as co-Sub Dean to the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and is the Organ Scholar at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Detroit, Michigan. He occasionally coaches with David Palmer, Professor Emeritus of the University of Windsor. More information about Aaron’s interests and music-making can be obtained from his website, www.aarontan.org.